Captain Jack Harkness and his Torchwood crew return for the explosive third series, which is screened next week over five consecutive nights.

IF you’ve never tuned in to Torchwood before, the man who has helped make it a worldwide success urges you to watch it.

John Barrowman has already shown the opening episode to his biggest critics – his mum Marion and dad John – and they were completely glued to their seats.

He reveals: “My family are my biggest critics, especially my mum who will tell me exactly like it is. I let my parents watch episode one and two with me, and watched their reaction.

“Normally they would get up during a show and have a drink or go to the bathroom, but they didn’t move. My mum and dad were glued to the screen.

“We finished watching it and the following morning my dad turned to me and said, ‘When are we watching three?’ If they don’t like something I do then they will say it and they absolutely loved this.”

In this series, which has moved from BBC Two to BBC One, the Torchwood team have to face some of their biggest challenges yet when an ordinary day becomes a world of terror, as every single child in the world stops. A message is sent to all the governments of Earth, saying: “We are coming.”

But as a trap closes around Captain Jack, sins of the past are returning, as long-forgotten events from 1965 threaten to reveal an awful truth.

John, an all-singing, all-dancing entertainer who has just signed up to play Robin Hood in panto at Cardiff’s New Theatre this Christmas, says: “Anybody who loves science fiction or a good drama will fall in love with Torchwood. It really doesn’t matter if you haven’t watched any of the previous series.

“There’s a bit of an introduction at the start that recaps what has been going on so newcomers can tune in and I’m telling you now, they won’t want to switch it off.

“It’s action-packed, it’s sexy, it’s exciting, it’s an emotional roller-coaster and you just want to sit back and get ready for the ride of your life.”

Torchwood, made up of Captain Jack, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones and Rhys Williams, are a team of people who are fighting for the best interests of humanity; they are no strangers to the daily threat alien forces pose to the safety of the Earth.

But, this time, they must fight with every ounce of instinct and energy they have to survive.

And to mark the show’s transition to BBC One, the new format means it’s on every night for five nights, a relatively new departure for drama.

Although John is disappointed the format was cut from the original 13 episodes down to just five, he does admit it will be hugely exciting for the viewer.

The 42-year-old, who was born in Glasgow before moving to Illinois, America, with his family when he was nine, says: “It’s changed in the respect that in series one we were crawling, series two we were walking and now series three we’re running.

“We know what Torchwood is and we know what it’s about – it’s full of drama and action. This storyline is one of the darker Torchwood storylines. Every time you turn a corner you don’t know what’s going to happen. And when you watch episode one you’re going to want to see two, and when you’ve seen two you’ll want to see three. You’re just going to want more and more and more.

“You’ll learn a lot about the characters in ways that you’ve never known them before. If you like relationships then you’re going to see the difference in Jack and Ianto’s relationship and Gwen and Rhys’ – but you’re also going to see the similarities.

“The characters have evolved in ways because we’re learning new things about them. It makes it really interesting for us to play as actors, and for the audience every episode will bring a new revelation.

“I think the one storyline works perfectly for this series – it’s epic, it is pacy.

“One of the team is hiding a secret that will be a revelation to a lot of people, not only to the viewers watching but to the team itself. It will be very uncomfortable for the characters.”

John is now looking forward to something altogether different – donning the stunning and sparkling dresses of Albin for the award-winning West End musical La Cage Aux Folles, which will take him right up to his panto role as Robin Hood.

He says: “It’s great to be back doing panto in Cardiff because it means I get to spend Christmas at home with my partner Scott and our dogs in our lovely house near the beach in Sully.”

He is also writing another book called I Am What I Am, just two years after his autobiography Anything Goes, written with his sister Carole, was a bestseller.

He says: “That book was an autobiography, this book is more of a reference of the last two years with more opinions and details about where I am right now in my life.”

AN alien force has brainwashed every child in the world, the Government is hunting you down despite your efforts to help and your boss is missing, presumed dead.

Oh, and you’ve just found out you’re pregnant.

Just another day in the life of Torchwood’s feisty Gwen Cooper.

During the first two series of the Doctor Who spin-off, ex-police officer Gwen was the mainstay of the Torchwood team – the mother of the group who calms the others, in comparison with flamboyant team leader Captain Jack Harkness.

But in the forthcoming five-part series her role is developed even more.

And Eve, the Ystradgynlais actress who started out straight from drama school on BBC Wales’ Belonging, says the new series is where she really comes into her own.

The 31-year-old, who is expecting her first baby in real life as well as on-screen, says: “From episode two onwards, Gwen has the responsibility of the world on her shoulders. It just doesn’t let up until the final scene and it’s life and death every minute of the day.

“I absolutely love playing Gwen. She’s constantly evolving and, in this five-parter in particular, there’s not time to have second thoughts. It’s always Plan A, because there’s no time for a plan B, C or D.

“I was so excited when I got the scripts. With a movie, you’re looking at maybe 90 minutes of action but, with this new series of Torchwood, we’ve got five hours.

“The pace increases from the word go. The first episode is an establisher and, by the second episode, you don’t know what the hell has hit you. The third, the fourth and the fifth go at such a pace.”

Eve, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, says there is a new fragility to the characters in this series, and they delve much deeper into their personal lives than ever before.

“Tosh and Owen (characters played by Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman respectively, killed in the last episode of series two) act as great symbols of how quickly you can be taken out of Torchwood.”

The latest series, Children Of Earth, starts with reports flooding in of freak paranormal activity.

The newly-depleted Torchwood crew spring into action, determined to find out what could have caused every child on earth to turn and face in the same direction and repeat a spine-tingling chant.

They begin by establishing links and following up on leads, getting closer to the truth. But the team have no idea that the Government has turned against them and want to shut down their alien-hunting unit.

Since its start in 2006, Torchwood has been praised for the way it mixes science fiction with domestic drama. In one 10-minute section, you can have big fights with an alien one moment and a romantic scene the next.

Children Of Earth is no different, with the relationship between Captain Jack and Ianto becoming much more serious.

And Eve reveals Gwen also has her own personal issues to deal with.

She says: “It was great when I first read the script. Not only is she going to save the world, she’s also going to be a mummy. I think that highlights her dedication to Torchwood. She’s still Gwen Cooper, the girl-next-door you met three years ago, but she’s developed massively and she’s going to be a mum now.

“I can’t wait for the next series. I can imagine her saving the world and then going home to the family. It gives her a new dimension, and a very strong motherly dimension. She’s the mother of the team already, and a fighter, and a mother away from them too. To play those two sides is really exciting.”

And it’s a case of life imitating art with Eve currently nearly six months pregnant, too.

She says: “I’m due in November. It was really hard keeping it to myself but now I’m telling everyone.

“It was funny because John knew something was up and he was texting and ringing me all the time but I couldn’t get back to him. Then he’d say, ’How are things?’ all the time, knowing something was up. It was great to be able to tell everyone. I’m over the moon.

“I wasn’t pregnant when we were filming Children Of Earth, but I am doing something at the moment and they’ve been brilliant – big bags, scarves, things like that to cover me up. You can see the bump normally, but the character has been wearing these big floaty dresses so it’s great.”

HE’S now the proud owner of his very own Torchwood action figure so Gareth David-Lloyd was more than prepared to put the hours in at the gym to prepare for his role as Jack’s right-hand man.

Unfortunately, the 28-year-old’s stirling efforts to bulk up for the much more physically demanding role were hampered when he injured his back, causing excruciating pain while filming some of the series’ more explosive scenes.

But the injury did not dampen Gareth’s enthusiasm for the role, which sees quiet coffee-maker Ianto right at the heart of the action.

He finds himself completely out of his comfort zone, right on the frontline and Gareth said it was hugely enjoyable to film.

The Newport-born actor, who lives with his fiancee Gemma in London, says: “It was awesome, really great. Ianto is much more in with the action in this series which was obviously a fantastic challenge for me.

“I absolutely loved filming this series. There are so many scenes that are memorable but the one that does come to mind is crawling through the wreckage after a huge explosion.

“We filmed it in a quarry and used real pyrotechnics. It was really hot and I had to climb up the side of this quarry. It was the first time in my career I felt like a proper action hero.

“It’s one big adrenalin rush after another. I enjoyed it more than ever as I had the chance to be a bigger part of the action.

“I spent lots of time at the gym before we started filming because I knew it would be much more physical than the previous episodes but I put my back out and it was very, very painful. I was in agony. I was alright once I started doing the running but sitting down and then standing up was very painful.”

As the series has developed, so has the character of Ianto Jones, not just physically but emotionally, too.

Gareth, who learned to act when he was a member of the National Youth Theatre, says: “I think Ianto has changed quite a lot since the series first began because of everything that’s happened to him.

“He lost everything he loved at one point, and then realised that all that was left for him was Torchwood and Jack – they had to replace the hole in his life. He’s learnt to be less guarded and be more like himself, a bit more content with himself as a person.”

The relationship between Captain Jack and Ianto also undergoes a transformation, with the two growing ever closer.

“It was nice to film those elements of the series. As it panned out across previous series, the relationship between Jack and Ianto has been quite organic. So it was nice that we get to the stage in series three where they are going through all the usual couple difficulties. I think the way it’s been done is extremely real.”

Since playing Ianto in the sci-fi drama, Gareth has had the opportunity to travel to America several times for a series of Torchwood conventions.

He says: “It has a huge following over there and the conventions are great fun. I spent some time out there after Christmas and was hoping to get some work during pilot season but there wasn’t much about to be honest.

“But that’s something I definitely want to do. Torchwood conventions have given me a great opportunity to spend time over there and find my feet. I definitely want to go back out there next pilot season, that’s certainly an ambition.”

But for now Gareth is concentrating on Ianto and thinks viewers will love the new format of the show as it premieres on BBC One.

He says: “There’s just as much human drama as there is sci-fi in this series. I’ve seen the first show and now I can’t wait to see the entire series. It has this race against time element to it. As each episode goes by, the pace increases and it gets faster and faster, like a roller coaster, and it’s a real adrenalin ride.”

WHEN Kai Owen auditioned for the original series of Torchwood, his character Rhys was only supposed to be in the first few episodes.

But now, much to Kai’s delight, Rhys, who was very much seen as the ordinary guy on the street, has become a focal part of the Torchwood team.

“Rhys is very much part of this series. It’s a part that has grown with each series and he really comes into his own in series three,” says Kai, from Llanrwst, North Wales.

“Right from the word go he is involved in the action and he suddenly becomes this very brave hero who has grown in stature.

“This series is fast moving, it’s non-stop, no holds barred from the get-go and it gets faster and faster, building to a massive climax. It’s got a lot of heart, it’s sexy, it’s classy. And even though it’s a bit extraordinary at times, it’s very real. I think it has something for everybody.

“It’s very different to the previous series. I loved the story arc. We were very used to there being different stories spread across 13 episodes, with the only constant thing being the characters. I was very excited about the scripts for this new series, even more so as (series creator) Russell T Davies had written some of them.

“Every episode gets better and better. The story is so strong that people who watch the first episode will have to watch the other four.”

Former Tipyn O Stad actor Kai, who lives in London, admits the Torchwood cast and crew has become like family to him.

He says: “Eve is brilliant and we are very, very close. I think the world of her. She is my on-screen wife so we work closely together and I honestly can’t say enough good things about her.

“Obviously filming is hard work, it’s very full-on for about four months, so it certainly helps if we all get on, and although it’s terribly cliched, we do.”

And, like Kai, his character Rhys will do all he can to protect the people he loves, even if that means taking on alien forces and tackling dangerous enemies.

He says: “He doesn’t run away from it, he’s seen so many things. He’s very brave and fully aware of what Gwen does and what she comes across. He also knows that she’s absolutely fantastic at her job.

“Rhys wants Gwen safe. If he was sitting at home knowing that the government wanted to wipe Torchwood out, then he’d want to be with Gwen.

“I think he’s happy to be more involved in this series because he knows he can keep an eye on her. But he wants to go home to his mam, really, and have a cup of tea.”

When he’s not running from alien forces, Kai enjoys training and ran the London Marathon in April this year.

He says: “I’m not really built for running but trained hard and had to pinch myself when I actually completed it. It was a very proud moment and I’d definitely like to do it again. It was a very humbling experience.”

Kai is now looking forward to playing a small role in Welsh soap Pobol Y Cwm as a dodgy loan shark called Craig.

The 33-year-old, who trained at Mountview Theatre School in London, says: “I’ve lived in London ever since I graduated but I’ve probably done lots more Welsh TV than English, but I’ve never been on Pobol Y Cwm so I’m looking forward to that.”

In the meantime, he’s looking forward to the reaction from the new Torchwood series.

“I’ve watched the first episode of Torchwood and I think people are going to love it. You’ve got the fantastic John, Eve and Gareth running the show as the lead team. It’s very strong and it’s very exciting.”